"Final Ride At Journey's End"
After spending 39 hours blowing away the last of the Awordian Webs that blocked space shipping lanes, the Lightning League was understandably exhausted. Before they could get some shut-eye, a distress call from Argus IV came in, pleading for help in repelling a Monster Mind invasion.
Suddenly, a new signal was detected from a young man named Aragon, the last survivor of a world that Saw Boss destroyed. Aragon had sworn revenge on the Monster Minds and declared that he would assist Argus IV. Jayce contacted Aragon with an offer to join forces, but Aragon arrogantly rebuffed him, making Herc mad.
The Lightning League travelled to Argus IV anyway, to see if they could be of any help. After meeting with the leader of that planet's armies, General Markum, the League encountered Aragon who again refused Jayce's suggestion that they work together. While the League fought the enemy troops on the ground, Aragon took to the skies in his spaceship. He dropped anti-matter modules that completely disintegrated the Monster Mind vehicles, almost taking out those of the League as well. Aragon apparently didn't care if allies or innocents got hurt; he just wanted to destroy Saw Boss, no matter the cost.
That night, he programmed a nearby planetoid to collide with Argus IV. Oon accidentally overheard his plan, so Aragon dropped the Squire into Monster Mind territory to keep him from telling the others. But the Lightning League soon found him, allowing him to deliver his warning. Jayce raced off to find Aragon while the others warned the leader of Argus IV's forces and repelled a renewed Monster Mind attack. After a brief hand-to-hand fight with Jayce, Aragon flew away on his spaceship before the cataclysm struck.
Jayce chased him down and, after comparing Aragon's actions to those of Saw Boss, finally convinced him to change the planetoid's course. But by then, it was too late to make a course correction! Only one thing could stop it -- a ship armed with anti-matter modules. Aragon set his ship on a collision course with the planetoid. Jayce pleaded with Aragon to eject in an escape pod, but to no avail. Aragon's last words were, "Fight them, Jayce, and win! Fight them for both of us! Remember me, my friend..." before crashing into the planetoid, completely disintegrating it.
The Monster Minds evacuated the planet in fear, and Argus IV was saved.
Jayce didn't reveal what Aragon was really doing up there. Instead, he stated that "Aragon did something braver than I can describe -- something that made Saw Boss leave here, never to return. He was... IS a hero."
Gillian: "Good work, my boy, that's the last of them! It'll be a long time before the supply ships in this sector need worry about Awordian Webs again!"
Jayce: "Or about their supplies ending up in Saw Boss' hands!"
Herc: "Ohhh, now maybe we can get some sleep! We've been at this for thirty-six hours straight!"
Oon: "Thirty-nine hours, and you napped once!"
Herc: "You know what's wrong with you, Scrap Heap? Your unreasoning fear of can openers!"
Oon: "But I don't have a fear of can openers."
Herc: "Ya will when I get done with ya!"
Gillian: "For once, I agree with Herc. I daresay we could all use some sleep."
Flora: "Ohhh, me too!"
Oon: "Me three!"
Herc: "You better get some shut-eye yourself, kid, now that no-one needs us for a while..."
Argus IV Soldier (transmission): "Help! We need help! Someone, anyone! We are under attack by Monster Minds -- Saw Boss, others! We need help! I know there are others fighting the Monster Minds; if any of you can hear me, PLEASE, come to Argus IV!"
Jayce: "Herc, set course for...!"
Herc: "UH-UH, not doing it! I'm tired, we're all tired, and I'M NOT...!"
Aragon (transmission): "I receive you, Argus IV. My name is Aragon. I'm alone, but I fought Saw Boss before. If he is there, I will come too. I will rid you of the Monster Minds!"
Jayce: "Yes, Herc, we're all tired, but at least there are five of us! Aragon's alone, and yet he's willing to help!"
Gillian: "I know Argus IV. It's densely populated, millions of people! They would make a large slave force -- if they survive."
Jayce: "Aragon, this is Jayce of the Lightning League -- we wanna help! If you'd like to work together, meet us at..."
Aragon (arrogantly): "I DO NOT NEED YOUR HELP! I'll handle this MY way. Believe me, if you go to Argus IV, you will REGRET IT!" (Ends the transmission)
Herc (angrily): "The NERVE of that guy! Thinking he can tell us where we can and can't go!"
Flora: "But I thought you didn't wanna go."
Herc: "Yeah, well, I hate ANYBODY telling me what to do!"
Jayce: "Then let's set course for Argus IV -- Herc's right! Aragon may not want us, but those people NEED us!"
Herc: "Wait a minute, waitaminute, waitaminute -- I'M RIGHT?! How come the only time you guys think I'm right is when I'd rather be wrong?!"
Aragon: "So, you came despite my warning! Then your fate is on your own head. Enough time wasting, take us to General Markum!"
Oon: "Huh! How dare he talk to my master like that!"
Gillian: "It's a free universe, Oon -- he can say what he wants! And if it helps, remember that we're here to keep it a free universe!"
Aragon (quietly enraged): "And then the Monster Minds destroyed my world, my people, everything I hold dear. Since then, I've dedicated my life to only one thing: the destruction of Saw Boss and the Monster Minds!"
Jayce: "If it's a big assault, perhaps we could coordinate our attack."
Aragon: "NO! I will do this MY way!"
Gillian: "Rather abrupt, isn't he?"
Flora: "He's in such pain, Gillian. Such... hate! I never felt anything like it!"
Oon: "That's no excuse for being rude! Why, if he were here...!"
Herc: "IF he were here, and IF he wasn't bigger, stronger, and faster than you...!"
Jayce: "Just remember, we're on the same side! Now let's go, we don't want Aragon to have all the fun, do we?"
Saw Boss: "So... the cursed youths have joined forces to oppose me! When I came here, I expected to see one or the other, but BOTH...!"
Gun Grinner: "Is it a bad sign, Excellency?"
Saw Boss: "It is troublesome, but it gives us the chance to destroy them both at the same time! Bring up the rear forces!"
Gillian: "Jayce, Herc! Get out of there! Those are anti-matter modules!"
Oon (frightened): "Anti-matter... but Master, that'll dissolve everything around it -- us too!"
Oon: "D-D-Did we win, Master?"
(They stare at the huge crater created by anti-matter)
Jayce: "Let me think about it and get back to you."
Jayce: "Aragon! What's the idea of using anti-matter?!"
Aragon: "They worked, didn't they?"
Jayce: "That's not the point! They're banned on every civilized world as too dangerous!"
Aragon: "All I care about is destroying Monster Minds!"
(Herc tackles Aragon to the ground, looking extremely ticked)
Herc (angrily): "YOU'RE NUTS, YOU KNOW THAT?! You coulda got us all KILLED out there!"
Aragon (smugly): "Don't try to cheer me up!"
Herc (angrily): "WHY YOU...!"
(Jayce holds Herc back from giving Aragon a well-deserved pounding)
Jayce: "HERC, NO!"
Aragon (snidely): "Go ahead! I'm not afraid of him!"
Herc (angrily): "Just give me ten minutes alone with him! FIVE, I'll settle for FIVE, OKAY?!"
Jayce: "If I did, you'd regret it someday."
Herc: "YA WANNA BET?! Listen, that kid's a loose cannon, and it's only a matter of time before he blows up in somebody's face!"
Ship's Computer: "Charges detonated; final course correction needed in twelve hours, or original shall be maintained."
Aragon: "Uh-uh, there won't be any correction! When it collides with this world, will it destroy the Monster Minds?"
Ship's Computer: "Probability high, since planetoid will destroy entire world."
Aragon: "All those people...! But there's no other way. We must destroy the Monster Minds, even if it means destroying everyone and everything else on the planet!"
Jayce: "Oon's missing! Have you seen him?"
Aragon: "No. Sorry."
Herc: "Hey, waitaminute! I heard you doing something last night. What was it?"
Aragon: "Oh... just dumping some garbage."
Oon: "Oh, Master, I'm so GLAD to see you! I-I-I had to warn you!"
Jayce: "'Bout the Monster Minds, we know -- they're massing for an attack!"
Oon: "Not Monster Minds, A-Aragon! He's going to crash a planetoid into his world, destroy Saw Boss, EVERYONE ELSE TOO!"
Jayce: "Aragon! Change the course of the planetoid -- you can still do it!"
Aragon: "Don't you understand?! I don't wanna to do this, but they destroyed my world, and they're going to PAY for it!"
Jayce: "I won't LET you!"
Aragon: "You can't stop me!"
Jayce: "It's WRONG, don't you see that?!"
Aragon: "The only thing I see is that you're in my way."
Jayce: "You CAN'T kill millions of people for REVENGE!"
Aragon: "There's NO OTHER WAY!"
Jayce: "I don't wanna to hurt you, but it's gotta stop here."
Aragon: "Then it ends -- HERE!"
Aragon: "You're good, but I can't let you stop me! I'll have my revenge! But for what it's worth, I'm sorry it had to end this way. Goodbye, Jayce!"
General Markum: "Where are they going? We've got a battle to fight!"
Herc: "Yeah, so do they, from the looks of it."
Gillian: "And I fear the whole world may depend on their battle, even more than ours!"
Flora: "Oh no -- Monster Minds!"
Herc: "Oh well. As the kid says, Lightning Strikes!"
Aragon: "For the last time, GO AWAY! The planetoid can't be stopped! They destroyed my world!"
Jayce: "Does destroying another world make it better? Does that solve the problem? Does it bring your world back, DOES IT?!"
Aragon: "Why are you fighting me? Don't you want to destroy Saw Boss?"
Jayce: "Yes, but at what cost? And what if you fail? Have you thought of THAT?! What if Saw Boss gets away in time?"
Saw Boss: "A PLANETOID, on a collision course! We MUST evacuate immediately!"
Gun Grinner: "But is there enough TIME, Excellency?"
Saw Boss: "There MUST be!"
Jayce: "Think of all the innocent people, Aragon! Saw Boss destroyed your world -- now you're doing the SAME! How are you different?! Your name will be a curse throughout the galaxy -- you'll be the same as Saw Boss! You will have become the ENEMY you say you HATE!"
Aragon: "I'm NOT the same as Saw Boss! I'm NOT!"
Ship's Computer: "Count Zero -- course correction for planetoid too late -- course has been determined! Count Zero -- correction cannot be made -- course has been determined!"
Aragon: "You were right, Jayce. I... I'm sorry. Tell them that for me. You see, I told you the truth -- a ship like yours can't stop it. Only one thing could: a ship armed with anti-matter modules. A ship... like mine. Goodbye, Jayce! I wish we could have been friends."
Jayce: "Aragon, NO, don't do it! There's GOTTA be another way!"
Ship's Computer: "Anti-matter modules ready to detonate."
Jayce: "Use your escape pod! There's still time!"
Aragon: "Yes, there was time... time enough for you to keep me from making a terrible mistake! For that, I thank you! Fight them, Jayce, and WIN! Fight them for BOTH OF US!"
Jayce: "Aragon, NO! ARAGON!"
Aragon: "Remember me, my friend!"
General Markum: "But you still haven't told us what Aragon was doing up there in the first place. What was he up to?"
Jayce: "Aragon did something braver than I can describe -- something that made Saw Boss leave here, never to return. He was... IS a hero."
